Sensor with controllable adhesion and preparation method thereof

Abstract

A sensor and a preparation method thereof are provided, the sensor includes a sensor substrate, functional cuts, crack-arrest holes, a patterned electrode, wires, an adhesive layer, and release paper. The preparation method includes following steps, preparing the sensor substrate and sticking the adhesive layer on the sensor substrate; then sticking the release paper on the adhesive layer; obtaining the functional cuts by laser cutting or blanking process; pasting a metal mask on a surface of the sensor substrate; depositing a material of the patterned electrode into a gap of the metal mask; removing the metal mask after a solvent of the liquid is volatilized; leading out the wires from patterned electrode pins; obtaining the sensor eventually. The sensor has advantages such as controllable adhesion, small size, light weight, sensitive sensing and simple manufacturing. The sensors are arrayable and suitable for sticking and sensing of large deformation and complex surfaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sensor, comprising a sensor substrate, an adhesive layer, and a release paper sequentially connected in that order; wherein a surface of the sensor substrate is provided with functional cuts; one of the functional cuts is a cutting line disposed axisymmetrically along a peeling direction and penetrates the sensor substrate; ends of the functional cuts each are provided with crack-arrest holes; a patterned electrode is surrounded by the functional cuts, the patterned electrode is adhered on the surface of the sensor substrate, and pins of the patterned electrode are connected to wires respectively; the functional cuts form an asymmetric dashed line type pattern; the asymmetric dashed line type pattern is a sensor cut pattern having both a dashed line type pattern and an asymmetric adhesion type pattern; a ratio of a width of one of the functional cuts to a width of the sensor substrate is more than 1:4. 
     
     
       2. The sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor substrate is a flexible film made of one of polyisocyanate (PIC) hydrogel, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). 
     
     
       3. The sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein a material of the patterned electrode is one of silver nanowire, gold, copper, tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). 
     
     
       4. The sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer is an acrylic adhesive layer. 
     
     
       5. The sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the sensor substrate is in a range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm; a thickness of the sensor is less than 3 mm; a gap width of each of the functional cuts is less than 0.2 mm; a diameter of each of the crack-arrest holes is in a range of 0.5 mm to 3 mm; a thickness of the patterned electrode is more than 0.1 mm, and a line width of the patterned electrode is less than 0.3 mm. 
     
     
       6. A preparation method of the sensor according to  claim 1 , comprising following steps:
 step (1): using a flexible film to prepare the sensor substrate, sticking the adhesive layer on a bottom of the flexible film, and sticking the release paper on a bottom of the adhesive layer as a protective layer; 
 step (2): obtaining the functional cuts for controllable adhesion by one of laser cutting and blanking process, using industrial alcohol to clean a surface of the sensor substrate, and treating the sensor substrate by plasmas with 40˜100 watt (W) power for 2˜5 minutes to improve surface activity of PIC hydrogel; 
 step (3): sticking a metal mask having a pattern of the patterned electrode on the surface of the sensor substrate prepared in the step (1); 
 step (4): depositing a material of the patterned electrode into a pattern gap of the metal mask by one of spin coating, etching, vapor deposition, and magnetron sputtering; then removing the metal mask after a solvent being volatilized, and sticking copper foils at the pins of the patterned electrode to lead out the wires, thereby obtaining the sensor.